Choosing a 2nd machine as a 90's kid

So the past couple weeks I've been tweaking and changing my wishlist, researching machines, and trying to decide upon whether I should include looking for machines from the early to mid 80's.

I've finally concluded that while machines from the early to mid 80's have some amazing designs, they weren't the machines I grew up with. Not only that, but when I compare many of them to my Surf 'n Safari, the rulesets and things to do seem a little too basic for my tastes.

I realize now that the machines I'm attracted most to are the ones that started to evolve in complexity and design when I was growing up during the very late 80's into the early 90's and beyond. Some examples of such machines are Funhouse, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Bride of Pinbot, etc.

What I'm trying to do now is come up with some potential candidates that would feel equivalent or be an upgrade from my Surf n' Safari. I do have some machines I'm very interested in that are DMD, namely Jurassic Park and Getaway. However, I know there are a lot of other DMDs that could be more affordable than them that are also fun.

But are there any alphanumeric machines from the very late 80's that I should consider as well? Some machines I'm thinking of are Swords of Fury, Black Knight 2000, etc.

Again, my goal is to try and find a machine that will compliment my Surf n' Safari and not feel like a downgrade for a 2nd machine.

Suggestions are welcomed! Thanks!

UPDATE 5/29/2020:

I posted in the Northeast for Sale an updated guideline for my budget range, and this is what I wrote:

I'm basically looking for a fun, solid machine from the 80's for around the $1000-$2000 price range depending on the machine and quality. Examples of machines I like from this time period are:
High Speed
F-14 Tomcat
Space Shuttle
Space Station
Pinbot
Genesis
Road Kings, the list could go on and on!

Alternatively, I'm looking for slightly more advanced Alpha-Numeric and DMD machines with a budget range of $2000-$3000. Examples of machines I like from this time period are:
Jurassic Park
The Getaway: High Speed 2
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Jack*Bot, the list would go on and on as well!

The main thing is my budget range is including shipping, if required.

Post last edited 3 years ago: “Re-worded topic, added additional criteria for what I'm looking for.”

#2 3 years ago

MAX

mbaumle

Pinside member

Gloucester Township, NJ

8y 119K 4,200 18 32

Depends on what you like! What have you played? What’s your style? Budget?

My buddies and I love games that are fast, hard, and kinda shallow (ba dum tsss). Games like Taxi, Robo War, Bram Stokers Dracula, Getaway, Genesis, and a few EMs tossed in the mix. They have short ball times and make the multiplayer experience more fun, since the turnover rate is high.

I’m partial to System 11 games myself. Funhouse (not a System 11) is a classic, but I think you’ll get more bang for your buck with a Whirlwind. If you’re looking at a Jurassic Park, whirlwind is basically the same layout.

Black Knight 2000 has a great soundtrack, but you can play it one handed. Gets old fast. Same with BoP.

Can’t beat T2! Fun game. Look into Black Rose. Seems to get hate, but I like it. It’s also on the cheaper side of WPC.

#3 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from mbaumle:
Depends on what you like! What have you played? What’s your style? Budget?
My buddies and I love games that are fast, hard, and kinda shallow (ba dum tsss). Games like Taxi, Robo War, Bram Stokers Dracula, Getaway, Genesis, and a few EMs tossed in the mix. They have short ball times and make the multiplayer experience more fun, since the turnover rate is high.
I’m partial to System 11 games myself. Funhouse (not a System 11) is a classic, but I think you’ll get more bang for your buck with a Whirlwind. If you’re looking at a Jurassic Park, whirlwind is basically the same layout.
Black Knight 2000 has a great soundtrack, but you can play it one handed. Gets old fast. Same with BoP.
Can’t beat T2! Fun game. Look into Black Rose. Seems to get hate, but I like it. It’s also on the cheaper side of WPC.

I've seen that Whirlwinds are starting to really ramp up in price unfortunately. It really looks fun and interesting. I agree that Bride of Pinbot, while super cool looking in design, is incredibly simple.

Back when I was younger I mainly played BoP, Funhouse, Attack from Mars, and I know I played another but I can't remember which one it was unfortunately.

Apollo 13 is one machine I'd like, but it doesn't come up often.

Black Rose I'd really like to get as well, but it's also uncommon and its price has been going higher.

#4 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
What I'm trying to do now is come up with some potential candidates that would feel equivalent or be an upgrade from my Surf n' Safari.

What on earth does that sentence mean? No hate, just confused. Feel equivalent to Surf N Safari? Go with Cactus Jacks.

#5 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
What on earth does that sentence mean? No hate, just confused. Feel equivalent to Surf N Safari? Go with Cactus Jacks.

Let me explain: Surf 'N Safari has a lot of variety on the playfield: It has two ramps, a spinner shot, targets up the middle, left side, and right side. 3 bumpers that bounce the ball around nicely. The layout is solid and doesn't feel like a one trick pony. The goal of the game is to make the different ramps and targets to fill up this vertical grid. Basically, there are lots of things you have to do on the machine.

So what I'm looking for is another machine that offers a similar kind of complexity, as opposed to a machine that offers one or two ramps and not much else to achieve jackpot. For example, Pinbot is a really cool table and I love the design, but gameplay wise, you really only are shooting the ball towards a couple areas and that's it as far as I know. I feel like if I were to play a game like that, I'd just want to go back to Surf 'n Safari.

In other words, Pinbot wouldn't feel equivalent to Surf 'n Safari in terms of gameplay and features.

#6 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
Let me explain: Surf 'N Safari has a lot of variety on the playfield: It has two ramps, a spinner shot, targets up the middle, left side, and right side. 3 bumpers that bounce the ball around nicely. The layout is solid and doesn't feel like a one trick pony. The goal of the game is to make the different ramps and targets to fill up this vertical grid. Basically, there are lots of things you have to do on the machine.
So what I'm looking for is another machine that offers a similar kind of complexity, as opposed to a machine that offers one or two ramps and not much else to achieve jackpot. For example, Pinbot is a really cool table and I love the design, but gameplay wise, you really only are shooting the ball towards a couple areas and that's it as far as I know. I feel like if I were to play a game like that, I'd just want to go back to Surf 'n Safari.

How big are you expecting your collection to get? How many games?

#7 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
How big are you expecting your collection to get? How many games?

I think at maximum I can fit 5 machines with my current setup. So it wouldn't be a big collection.

That's why I want to try and carefully choose which machines to get.

#8 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
I think at maximum I can fit 5 machines with my current setup. So it wouldn't be a big collection.
That's why I want to try and carefully choose which machines to get.

I mean, Sharkey’s Shootout is pretty loaded for $1800-$2200. Two separate game modes. Lots of drops. Shots feel good.

#9 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
I mean, Sharkey’s Shootout is pretty loaded for $1800-$2200. Two separate game modes. Lots of drops. Shots feel good.

I actually was thinking about buying that one when it came up recently. For some reason pool theming turns me off and I don't know why cause I like pool.

#10 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
I actually was thinking about buying that one when it came up recently. For some reason pool theming turns me off and I don't know why cause I like pool.

Yeah, I turned one down for $1,500 recently. It’s a hard sell. Striker Xtreme is even cheaper, but actually almost unplayable, the upper ramp isn’t shootable. Stay away from Maverick too. LW3 also.

High Roller Casino is great. Lots of different features.

I’m big on Sega titles - there’s a lot of cool there. How do you feel about Whitestar as a whole? (Sega/Early Stern?)

#11 3 years ago

TJD

elcolonel

Pinside member

Dacula, GA

8y 62,550 1,810 3 12 5

Class Of 1812

#12 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

Quoted from elcolonel:
Class Of 1812

Good recommendation. Similar to Surf N Safari, lots of play features. He’d like that if he finds SNS enjoyable.

#13 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
Yeah, I turned one down for $1,500 recently. It’s a hard sell. Striker Xtreme is even cheaper, but actually almost unplayable, the upper ramp isn’t shootable. Stay away from Maverick too. LW3 also.
High Roller Casino is great. Lots of different features.
I’m big on Sega titles - there’s a lot of cool there. How do you feel about Whitestar as a whole? (Sega/Early Stern?)

High Roller Casino is very cool looking and is on my wishlist!

And yes, there are definitely some Whitestar machines I like: Apollo 13, Goldeneye, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, Godzilla off the top of my head.

#14 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from elcolonel:
Class Of 1812

Yep, that did look like an appealing machine and is on my wishlist.

#15 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
Good recommendation. Similar to Surf N Safari, lots of play features. He’d like that if he finds SNS enjoyable.

It's not so much I'm looking for something similar, just something that doesn't feel too simple. For example, I was looking at Road Kings for a while, but realized there isn't much to really do in it. Same with a game like F-14 Tomcat, which presentation wise is amazing.

But don't get me wrong, I'd certainly own F-14 Tomcat, High Speed, or any of the mid 80's games if the price is reasonable. Right now their pricing feels a bit too high for what they offer.

#16 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
It's not so much I'm looking for something similar, just something that doesn't feel too simple. For example, I was looking at Road Kings for a while, but realized there isn't much to really do in it. Same with a game like F-14 Tomcat, which presentation wise is amazing.
But don't get me wrong, I'd certainly own F-14 Tomcat, High Speed, or any of the mid 80's games if the price is reasonable. Right now their pricing feels a bit too high for what they offer.

I mean - you and are two different pinball appreciators. And that’s okay. I love EMs and early SS stuff. It’s hard to help someone else find their next game.

#17 3 years ago

444

sunnRAT

Pinside member

9y 119K 2,069

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
...I've finally concluded that while machines from the early to mid 80's have some amazing designs, they weren't the machines I grew up with...
...I realize now that the machines I'm attracted most to are the ones that started to evolve in complexity and design when I was growing up during the very late 80's into the early 90's and beyond...

As a fellow 90s kid, I can tell you that it took me years before I came to realize what kind of pins I really enjoy. Some more than others, but I like pinball in gerenal, so I give anything a chance.

I got into this hobby thinking the DMD pins of the 90s were the ultimate. Yes, they are certainly fun, but as time went on and I got to play more machines, I began to discover things I liked and didn't like in various machines from all eras.

The limitation you are setting for yourself might be beneficial from a financial standpoint, but I wouldn't limit yourself too much to pinball machines from the time you grew up as a kid. There are some really great machines outside of the 90s.

One of the things I like about the 70s EMs, going into the 80s solid state pins, is the variety of original themes and the artwork of that time period. Science fiction, lots of space themes, swords and sorcery, wizards, creatures, the Xenon babe, on and on. It really captures my imagination. Plus I find that a majority of them are still really fun to play after all this time has passed.

Another thing I look for is if it has a good layout. Play different pins and get a feel for what your like. If you like a certain pin, look into who designed it and see what else they designed. If you like making certain shots, like an orbit shot with a spinner, look into what other games have a similar layout. Then again, it's good to own pins that don't play too much alike.

Im sure you will connect with a good combination of theme and layout. Don't always buy into the hype of certain games. Play it yourself and decide. I think there are a lot of gems in the Top 200 and even Top 300 portion of the Pinside Top Ranked pins. I think very few even pay attention to those lower ranked pins. Some are actually really good.

#18 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from sunnRAT:
As a fellow 90s kid, I can tell you that it took me years before I came to realize what kind of pins I really enjoy. Some more than others, but I like pinball in gerenal, so I give anything a chance.
I got into this hobby thinking the DMD pins of the 90s were the ultimate. Yes, they are certainly fun, but as time went on and I got to play more machines, I began to discover things I liked and didn't like in various machines from all eras.
The limitation you are setting for yourself might be beneficial from a financial standpoint, but I wouldn't limit yourself too much to pinball machines from the time you grew up as a kid. There are some really great machines outside of the 90s.
One of the things I like about the 70s EMs, going into the 80s solid state pins, is the variety of original themes and the artwork of that time period. Science fiction, lots of space themes, swords and sorcery, wizards, creatures, the Xenon babe, on and on. It really captures my imagination. Plus I find that a majority of them are still really fun to play after all this time has passed.
Another thing I look for is if it has a good layout. Play different pins and get a feel for what your like. If you like a certain pin, look into who designed it and see what else they designed. If you like making certain shots, like an orbit shot with a spinner, look into what other games have a similar layout. Then again, it's good to own pins that don't play too much alike.
Im sure you will connect with a good combination of theme and layout. Don't always buy into the hype of certain games. Play it yourself and decide. I think there are a lot of gems in the Top 200 and even Top 300 portion of the Pinside Top Ranked pins. I think very few even pay attention to those lower ranked pins. Some are actually really good.

There are definitely a lot of machines from the entire decade of the 80's that I really thought looked fun, Xenon being one of them. TX-Sector is one I absolutely love to get, but not if the price is too high from its average. That's the current challenge I'm facing is even machines that used to be sub $1000, like Road Kings or Special Forces, now are selling for $1500+ or more.

#19 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
There are definitely a lot of machines from the entire decade of the 80's that I really thought looked fun, Xenon being one of them. TX-Sector is one I absolutely love to get, but not if the price is too high from its average. That's the current challenge I'm facing is even machines that used to be sub $1000, like Road Kings or Special Forces, now are selling for $1500+ or more.

Yeah - the market is insane.

Post last edited 3 years ago: “Typo.”

#20 3 years ago

JJJ

jonesjb

Pinside member

New York, NY

10y 118K 3,945 3 19

The Shadow.

#21 3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
So the past couple weeks I've been tweaking and changing my wishlist, researching machines, and trying to decide upon whether I should include looking for machines from the early to mid 80's.
I've finally concluded that while machines from the early to mid 80's have some amazing designs, they weren't the machines I grew up with. Not only that, but when I compare many of them to my Surf 'n Safari, the rulesets and things to do seem a little too basic for my tastes.
I realize now that the machines I'm attracted most to are the ones that started to evolve in complexity and design when I was growing up during the very late 80's into the early 90's and beyond. Some examples of such machines are Funhouse, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Bride of Pinbot, etc.
What I'm trying to do now is come up with some potential candidates that would feel equivalent or be an upgrade from my Surf n' Safari. I do have some machines I'm very interested in that are DMD, namely Jurassic Park and Getaway. However, I know there are a lot of other DMDs that could be more affordable than them that are also fun.
But are there any alphanumeric machines from the very late 80's that I should consider as well? Some machines I'm thinking of are Swords of Fury, Black Knight 2000, etc.
Again, my goal is to try and find a machine that will compliment my Surf n' Safari and not feel like a downgrade for a 2nd machine.
Suggestions are welcomed! Thanks!

There are great pins from all eras if you are willing to look. The top 100 is a good starting place to get an idea. The most important thing is budget. If you only have 1k, it's hard to recommend a pin that is 4k.

I would also say to play as many pins as you can, read reviews, and watch online videos to find out what you like...and WHY. A lot of people never really ask that question.

As far as 80s pins go, Williams system 11 pins and early bally SS pins are pretty well considered amongst the best for their respective time periods. Medusa is a pin that I really love that was WAY ahead of its' time. It is amazing. Flash Gordon is a really cool early SS as well. Seawitch, barracora, and fathom are also all well loved.

The late 80s we'lre really owned by Williams. Diner, high speed, banzai run, earthshaker, cycling, EATPM, taxi, etc. There are tons of good ones.

The 90s has lots of amazing options as well. MM, MB, AFM, the shadow, johnny mnemonic, champion pub, TZ, TAF, WH20....i mean...The list goes on and on. This is where budget REALLY matters.

I haven't seen this mentioned, but what about revenge from Mars? It was made in 1999, and it is the sequel to attack from Mars, which you said you enjoyed when you were younger. At around 3k, there is a ton of bang for the buck.

#22 3 years ago

RIG

riggy469

WMPC

Belchertown, MA

14y 75,150 975 27

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
Stay away from Maverick too. LW3 also.

I’ll remember you said this once the WMPC opens back up

Maverick is a great game for the money. LW3
is simplistic but fun, just not great for a small collection. Last Action Hero is a lot of bang for your buck, although they haven’t been popping up that often in the New England area lately.

Earthshaker can still be found around 2k, that’s one to keep an eye out for as well.

#23 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

Quoted from riggy469:
I’ll remember you said this once the WMPC opens back up
Maverick is a great game for the money. LW3
is simplistic but fun, just not great for a small collection. Last Action Hero is a lot of bang for your buck, although they haven’t been popping up that offer in the New England area lately.
Earthshaker can still be found around 2k, that’s one to keep an eye out for as well.

HARDY HAR HAR

Maverick & LW3 aren’t bad - but I wouldn’t want one in a collection of 5 or less. The big DMD in Maverick is more expensive to fix than a regular one + The Lauren Belle Ship Wheel is a little too stop and go for me.

I mean - if I could get a LW3 for *wicked* cheap, I’d consider it.

I do recommend LAH, it’s an excellent game.

#24 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from Daditude:
There are great pins from all eras if you are willing to look. The top 100 is a good starting place to get an idea. The most important thing is budget. If you only have 1k, it's hard to recommend a pin that is 4k.
I would also say to play as many pins as you can, read reviews, and watch online videos to find out what you like...and WHY. A lot of people never really ask that question.
As far as 80s pins go, Williams system 11 pins and early bally SS pins are pretty well considered amongst the best for their respective time periods. Medusa is a pin that I really love that was WAY ahead of its' time. It is amazing. Flash Gordon is a really cool early SS as well. Seawitch, barracora, and fathom are also all well loved.
The late 80s we'lre really owned by Williams. Diner, high speed, banzai run, earthshaker, cycling, EATPM, taxi, etc. There are tons of good ones.
The 90s has lots of amazing options as well. MM, MB, AFM, the shadow, johnny mnemonic, champion pub, TZ, TAF, WH20....i mean...The list goes on and on. This is where budget REALLY matters.
I haven't seen this mentioned, but what about revenge from Mars? It was made in 1999, and it is the sequel to attack from Mars, which you said you enjoyed when you were younger. At around 3k, there is a ton of bang for the buck.

I vary my budget according to the machine I'm looking for. Because I know there's no way I'll get a Jurassic park for $1500 for example, at least not in this day and age now. So I scale my budget accordingly. If I had to give a hard cap on my budget it would be $3000, including the shipping if I had to do that.

Revenge from Mars I'm torn on, because some people love the Pinball 2000 system, and others hate it. Star Wars Episode I for example, doesn't seem to be well liked among the community, but Revenge From Mars is liked for the most part. If I were to buy a Revenge from Mars though I'd replace the CRT screen with an LCD.

Medusa did look really mind blowing in design when I watched gameplay videos of it. Really impressive for its time!

Basically, I do have a lot of machines on my wishlist that I'd certainly like, but only if the price is reasonable for that respective machine. As I said before, the market is insane right now for pricing. I've been trying to get a High Speed or F-14 Tomcat for around $1500 and it is not happening right now haha.

#25 3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
I vary my budget according to the machine I'm looking for. Because I know there's no way I'll get a Jurassic park for $1500 for example, at least not in this day and age now. So I scale my budget accordingly. If I had to give a hard cap on my budget it would be $3000, including the shipping if I had to do that.
Revenge from Mars I'm torn on, because some people love the Pinball 2000 system, and others hate it. Star Wars Episode I for example, doesn't seem to be well liked among the community, but Revenge From Mars is liked for the most part. If I were to buy a Revenge from Mars though I'd replace the CRT screen with an LCD.
Medusa did look really mind blowing in design when I watched gameplay videos of it. Really impressive for its time!
Basically, I do have a lot of machines on my wishlist that I'd certainly like, but only if the price is reasonable for that respective machine. As I said before, the market is insane right now for pricing. I've been trying to get a High Speed or F-14 Tomcat for around $1500 and it is not happening right now haha.

Pm me. I've got some info for you.

#26 3 years ago

JAM

Jmckune

Pinside member

5y 80,850 1,898 7

Most system 11s are great values for their price. Taxi, Pinbot, High Speed, Mousin Around are ones that come to mind that offer quite a bit of fun compared to their usual price.

#27 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from Jmckune:
Most system 11s are great values for their price. Taxi, Pinbot, High Speed, Mousin Around are ones that come to mind that offer quite a bit of fun compared to their usual price.

I definitely agree. It's just right now they generally have not been at their usual price, haha.

#28 3 years ago

MDJ

mooch

Pinside+ Frequent

Mojave Desert, NV

10y 89,300 1,293 2

There is a Dale Jr. game for sale in Connecticut. Same as the Nascar game in your wish list.

Machine - For Sale

Price drop! Dale Jr. Archived

Fully shopped/refurbished - “Price Drop!Selling a nice Stern Dale Junior limited addition pinball machine. Game works and plays great. All LEDs, clean playfield ,decent cabinet, Flipper buttons show a little w...”

2020-05-13

West Palm Beach, FL

mongi

2,800 (OBO)

Archived after: 17 days

Viewed: 284 times

Status: Not sold: Decided to keep game

#29 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

I appreciate the Dale Jr link. I personally don't like the theming of Dale Jr. compared to the Nascar. I'm not a big Nascar fan to begin with, but I liked the cars on the translite for the Nascar one.

#30 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
I appreciate the Dale Jr link. I personally don't like the theming of Dale Jr. compared to the Nascar. I'm not a big Nascar fan to begin with, but I liked the cars on the translite for the Nascar one.

He’s a great seller though, awesome guy. Make a custom translite!

#31 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from SilverballSleuth:
He’s a great seller though, awesome guy. Make a custom translite!

I'll have to keep him in mind when he puts other machines up for sale! I'm just not a fan of having to look at Dale Jr on the playfield personally, haha.

It's too bad the monte carlo was beaten up, but I thnk there are more interesting casino themed machines out there like Jack*Bot and High Roller Casino.

#32 3 years ago

USA

SilverballSleuth

Inactive member

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
I'll have to keep him in mind when he puts other machines up for sale! I'm just not a fan of having to look at Dale Jr on the playfield personally, haha.
It's too bad the monte carlo was beaten up, but I thnk there are more interesting casino themed machines out there like Jack*Bot and High Roller Casino.

Agreed, Monte Carlo isn’t the greatest. Jack Bot is great fun - one of my favorite WPC B titles.

#33 3 years ago

RIG

riggy469

WMPC

Belchertown, MA

14y 75,150 975 27

No Fear on FB for 2150, in RI and from a great seller

#34 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from riggy469:
No Fear on FB for 2150, in RI and from a great seller

Unfortunately that is likely gone by now. Great price though!

I just realized a challenge I will face is I'm not familiar with proper transportation of a machine. I don't have any equipment really that can move it aside from a standard hand truck.

#35 3 years ago

JJJ

jonesjb

Pinside member

New York, NY

10y 118K 3,945 3 19

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
Unfortunately that is likely gone by now. Great price though!
I just realized a challenge I will face is I'm not familiar with proper transportation of a machine. I don't have any equipment really that can move it aside from a standard hand truck.

Have you looked into Shadow or Johnny Mnemonic?

#36 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from jonesjb:
Have you looked into Shadow or Johnny Mnemonic?

They are on my list, yep! I wasn't considering them at first cause of the movies they were based on, but I hear the machine designs are solid and fun.

#37 3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
They are on my list, yep! I wasn't considering them at first cause of the movies they were based on, but I hear the machine designs are solid and fun.

Inspiration:

20200209_160727 (resized).jpg

20200209_160739 (resized).jpg

#38 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from Daditude:
Inspiration:[quoted image][quoted image]

That's a way cooler Translite! Very nice lighting as well!

#39 3 years ago

JJJ

jonesjb

Pinside member

New York, NY

10y 118K 3,945 3 19

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
That's a way cooler Translite! Very nice lighting as well!

Or this.

03658AD7-318C-43D5-8F2F-FDA33A0083D0 (resized).jpeg2F3B8B00-D8BA-4E26-9D34-3EEA96D73EA8 (resized).jpeg

B834A19C-E6B7-4B84-9E49-5DFF7D852C91 (resized).jpeg

#40 3 years ago

DAD

holminone

Pinside member

Walnut Creek, CA

5y 51,050 607 3 15

Shadow is super fun. STTNG is great if you are a fan of the show and especially with Pinsound. Plays so fast. Never played a great playing STTNG in the wild, but mine at home... awesome.

#41 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from jonesjb:
Or this.
[quoted image][quoted image]
[quoted image]

Damn, that's awesome...

I gotta remember that I can always replace the crappy translights for some of those cheesy and terrible Gottlieb games like Raven and Hollywood Heat.

#42 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from holminone:
Shadow is super fun. STTNG is great if you are a fan of the show and especially with Pinsound. Plays so fast. Never played a great playing STTNG in the wild, but mine at home... awesome.

STTNG is definitely high up on my list, but way out of my price range currently!

I posted in the Northeast for Sale an updated guideline for my budget range, and this is what I wrote:

The main thing is my budget range is including shipping, if required.

#43 3 years ago

DAD

holminone

Pinside member

Walnut Creek, CA

5y 51,050 607 3 15

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
STTNG is definitely high up on my list, but way out of my price range currently!
I posted in the Northeast for Sale an updated guideline for my budget range, and this is what I wrote:
I'm basically looking for a fun, solid machine from the 80's for around the $1000-$2000 price range depending on the machine and quality. Examples of machines I like from this time period are:
High Speed
F-14 Tomcat
Space Shuttle
Space Station
Pinbot
Genesis
Road Kings, the list could go on and on!
Alternatively, I'm looking for slightly more advanced Alpha-Numeric and DMD machines with a budget range of $2000-$3000. Examples of machines I like from this time period are:
Jurassic Park
The Getaway: High Speed 2
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Jack*Bot, the list would go on and on as well!
The main thing is my budget range is including shipping, if required.

I regret selling my getaway for what it’s worth. I rescued it from one of those kids ticket places and it was covered in black Dustin 90% of the lamps are out in the right flipper didn’t work. After a thorough shopping it looked and played brand new save for burned out sound board.

#44 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from holminone:
I regret selling my getaway for what it’s worth. I rescued it from one of those kids ticket places and it was covered in black Dustin 90% of the lamps are out in the right flipper didn’t work. After a thorough shopping it looked and played brand new save for burned out sound board.

Glad you rescued it! Getaway looks very fun!

Maybe I'll have to figure out a "trading up" strategy to eventually reach a dream machine. Who knows if that's feasible anymore though.

#45 3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

OP
Quoted from HydrogenHuman:
Glad you rescued it! Getaway looks very fun!
Maybe I'll have to figure out a "trading up" strategy to eventually reach a dream machine. Who knows if that's feasible anymore though.

It is possible if you get good deals, fix them up, and then sell/trade for better pins. You can also acquire higher dollars pins by offering 2 for 1, or even 3 for 1 deals.

#46 3 years ago

REW

woody76

Pinball Marketing

Nashville, TN

9y 142K 6,847 6 98

for me, high speed is great bang for buck. Can be picked up cheap and super fun.

#47 3 years ago

444

sunnRAT

Pinside member

9y 119K 2,069

High Speed has one of the best shots in pinball. Full orbit with 2 spinners and is repeatable.

#48 3 years ago

JCR

HydrogenHuman

Pinside+ Frequent

Quoted from woody76:
for me, high speed is great bang for buck. Can be picked up cheap and super fun.

High Speed is way up there on my wishlist. All the offers I've received have usually been $2200+ though, which is too much in my opinion.

#49 3 years ago

TKM

Daditude